Card making tips and techniques
Some of the small things can make your cards look more professional. Use these card making tips and techniques to improve your cards.
If you need to use a punch to make a place to tie someting or you want to use the punch out as a decoration the best way to use a punch is to hold it upside-down so you can punch exactly where you want to.
You can use decorative scissors to cut many diffrent patterns. They cut just like regular scissors but leave a very diffrent edge.
If you use a bone to fold paper you can get a much better fold. The fold will be crisp and straight.
A different way to fold a card that will give you two pockets great for tucking in a couple of tags.
Click on the card for instructions.
If you have a rubber stamp that has words on it you can cut off the words and put them on the side of the stamp and turn one stamp in to three.
Example of three in one rubber stamp
You can get a unique pattern on a piece of glossy card stock if you use a candle to almost burn the glossy side of card sock. Some candles won't work. You might have to try afew different candles to find one. To get the soot to stay you have to spray the card stock with clear high gloss polyurethane or it will smudg off. You can stamp in the soot with a rubber stamp. 
Example of candle soot technique
With a baby wipe and some craft ink pad refills you can make your own ink pad that will look tie-dye when you stamp it. Just put a few drops of the colors you want on a moist baby wipe and use it just like a ink pad.
Example of baby wipe technique
You can use brads to hold together a card or just as a decoration. Brads come in all shapes and colors. To add a brad all you do is punch a small hole insert the brad and spread apart the prongs.
To put in a eyelet, punch a small hole where you want the eyelet then set the card stock over the upside down eyelet. Use a center punch to spread the back side of the eyelet. Once the eyelet is spread you can smash it with a hammer until it is flat. Make sure to use a cutting mat when you use the center punch and hammer.
Example of eyelets
Embossing is used often in card making. Use a embossing ink pad to stamp with. Quickly cover the wet ink with embossing powder. Dump off the extra powder and put it back in the jar to be used later. Then heat the powder with a heat gun until it melts and becomes shiny.
Embossing powder on wet ink.
Embossing powder melted by a heat gun.
If you want to stamp something a little bit lighter you can "stamp off". Just stamp on a scrap piece of paper first. This technique is great if you want to stamp over a stamp.
For a different looking design you can use a ink pad as a stamp. It makes a great background pattern for card making.
You can use a sponge to add a little ink on a torn edge or to add some color to a background.
If you want a line of small holes you can use a punch and template. You can stitch ribbon or string through the holes or just leave them as a decoration. Make sure to use a cutting mat when you use the punch.
Example of punch and template holes.
There are many diffrent ways to cut out shapes with templates. These are some of my personal favorites. Make sure to use a cutting mat.
Example of template cut outs
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